


vanitas vanitatum

by annejumps



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 13:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8753248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/pseuds/annejumps
Summary: Charles reached up out of self-conscious reflexive habit to touch his hair, then paused and smoothed his fingertips over his scalp. “It’s just very… different.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red/gifts).



> Prompt: "Anything about Charles coping with his new hairstyle (or, more aptly, the lack thereof). If it’s XMA-complaint, of course there’s a lot more he’s coping with at that time. If an AU, perhaps it’s about him losing his hair suddenly through some other means? Either way, I’d love to see a Charles who’s already super out-and-proud mutant and disabled... but really finds himself struggling with The Bald Thing. (This is a gen prompt, but you can make it shippy if it strikes your fancy: I enjoy Charles/Erik and Charles/Moira in particular!)"

“I’ve told you before, Charles. It looks… good,” Erik said, from where he sat at the other side of Charles’ desk, in his newly rebuilt office.

Charles looked at him, and arched a brow.

“It does!” Erik said, biting back a smile, eyes crinkling just slightly in amusement. He cleared his throat. “You look good. You do.”

“Why are you laughing, then?” Charles asked, sitting back. “Hm?”

“I’m not laughing,” Erik said, shaking his head. Charles waited. “It’s just… you’ve so vain about your hair, Charles.”

“I’m not—” Charles began, then closed his mouth.

“You’ll get more used to it, I’m sure,” Erik said. “It must be a shock going from that mane of yours to… nothing.”

“Oh, shut up, Erik,” Charles said, cross. Honestly, the man was two years older than he was and his hair didn’t even seem to be thinning in the slightest. He’d probably end up with a full head of white locks at this rate. Years from now.

“You got used to a wheelchair,” Erik added (Charles raised his brow again, but said nothing to that). Seemingly oblivious, Erik went on. “Before that, you adapted to being a mutant. You really think you can’t adjust to being bald?”

Charles reached up out of self-conscious reflexive habit to touch his hair, then paused and smoothed his fingertips over his scalp. “It’s just very… different.”

Erik nodded, smiling slightly at him, and it was true that there didn’t _seem_ to be muted horror on his face when he looked at Charles these days….

“Do you really think it looks good?” Charles asked after a few moments, in a lower voice.

Erik sighed, shaking his head. “Yes. You’re beautiful, Charles,” he said, standing and walking around to Charles’ side of the desk, leaning down to kiss the top of Charles’ head before Charles realized what was happening, at which point Erik walked away again. Charles made an indignant sputter after him, watching Erik make his way out of his office.

“I mean it,” Erik called over his shoulder, at the door, a smile in his voice. “It brings out your eyes.”


End file.
